I know. More than 6k. The next chapters won't go around or more than 5000 words. Not a promise, but I'll do my best.
Volume Two: Eyes of Hate
Chapter XII
The Nine's Oath
I. The Trial
September 7, 1210 - Two Weeks Later
The Nine advanced their crucial schedule in the morning while this day shone the newest member. Kai was not part of them during his progress by changing his course instead of volunteering too early. He was not comprehending this meaning of the word "oath," determining each student's recognition forever titled to what they became, their fundamental reasons, including backstories. While training with his daughter Lotus who could pledge his life to bond with strong, intelligent, and persistent students, Zhong gave many grins toward each of the Nine while his teacher Xing observed the sparring.
Zhong wore long, cotton sleeve robes and black pants, warm sunlight which thick pale clouds passed over, glistened the wolf's silver surroundings. His uniform became the actual color of his personality, as the one-eyed wolf endured through Zhong's eternity from the beginning: The alpha of the pack who guided many wolves toward survival. A fierce warrior who had lost his biological parents, Peafowl Noble's adoptive son, Mali the Soothsayer's grandson, Lord Shen's right-handed soldier, and a brother.
Everything behind his back left his sufferings as if the Emperor of China redeemed him and every wolf to submit their next rebellious encounter. Many had experienced their leader whose fears haunt, and their pack's strength became mobile. Underestimating the misery from mistakes may follow; terrible things happen most of the time. You only need to focus on happiness ahead of you instead of trapping yourself in the past.
Visitors from close quarters of the Prosper Valley at the entrance searched for their seats Xing and Ming guided them. Wolf Boss entered the fighting square alone as if the Nine and Kai at his left inspected their new member testing the Trial. Deep inside the lupine's heart, which leveled with agitation, Wolf Boss eased his nerves; these people's interest in one wolf, masking their timidness how he and wolves were vicious and some became soft to another. Villagers were transparent to comprehend the young and old toward both the father and daughter. One raised in a tranquil life on the worth of easing emotions while in Wing Chun, and the other went into chaos. Not every wolf has a soft side on the rarest occasion.
Introduction embarked with Wolf Boss bowing to the Nine's Leader, whose fierce paws met and stone-blue eyes glistened. Each form to the wolf following Xing's limb and paw blocks fastened Wolf Boss's memories sticking into concepts. And with these concepts to master these blocks, you attack your blocks as well. Crowds deafened their public whispers as each of them looked at both warriors educating at each other on the square, and some stunned toward one of the students they were not part of the Nine.
A few were keen to fully aware of the yak's horns that grew massive and unnatural than every bovine's horns. Bulky arms were thick to becoming stones from battle injuries. For those who closed enough to stand with this Beast of Vengeance, some of his fur exposed with pale scars on shoulders, his whole back, and upper chest. Kai ignored most of their perceptions but interestingly regarded the tiger and wolf storm their chi with their single punch toward the end of their form sections and bowed.
"The more you think during the fight, you'll lose your focus. No mind."
Xing's fruity voice made the alpha's side of his lips stretch back. "Got it. No mind," Wolf Boss hastily nodded.
Xing patted Zhong's shoulder. "You can do this," he encouraged him and turned to one of the Nine students. "Bao. Spar with him."
The giant ape trotted, and his fists pounded on his upper chest. "Bao, spar!" the Nine's Heaver announced, and more than a hundred villagers in the blue-roofed building cheered with applause and whistles.
Huffing his muzzle, Kai crossed his limbs together. Does this bobo ape ever speak? Like him, they rage like a wild beast.
Wolf Boss's lips stretched upward as the cold wafted in his spine. His feet sensed soft shakes of the square from Bao's hands. "Big gorilla. Zhong, ready?" Wolf Boss's smile unveiled his sharp teeth during his bow.
The gorilla clashed his palms and bent forward. "Bao, ready." The ape's chuckles were shrill and thick.
There was no denying that a quick or average could challenge the giant Zhong, nearly underestimated a few hefty Gorillas who backed the albino positioning heavy objects or bearing Shen's cannons. Each of their blow from untamed strengths of their main limbs would rupture bones and ribcages.
During a single spar, Wolf Boss countered his fook sao paw and punched the other toward Bao's shoulder; the ape hooked his punch as Zhong deflected and circle punches on his chest. Diverging his paws before the ape hammered the floor and his guards forward, Wolf Boss sidestepped back amidst the fighting square. Bao trotted, sprang his two feet over the wolf's head; Zhong bowled to the right and advanced near him.
Wolf Boss pawed on Bao's elbow and back-knuckle, and his foot clouted ape's knee. Revolving palm blocks from the giant's circle punches, Zhong freed his tongue, his limbs horizontally countering bong sao, pivoting the ape's hammering fist with an upward palm block. Mirroring the other side, the wolf's limbs divided the ape's arms and unleashed straight punches. Three blows hit, and the fourth walloped a one-inch punch.
The Nine's Serpent, Fanshe, skimmed his belly back as he sharply eyed on Zhong, whose whole limbs guarded forward. "Fantastic, Zhong!" the cobra nodded, slithering his linear body to his right. Bao towered beside Xing's grandmother, whose paws clasped on her belly.
The cobra's tail darted forward with each attack, swung sides, and walloped under the wolf's ankles. Zhong's guards parried tops, both strikes, his foot dodged, and the other booted Fanshe's rapid tail. Lotus standing on the edge of the square next to her tiger partner, observed most of the villagers open their mouths. Far back to Lotus's right side, Kai huffed his muzzle.
Parring against the cobra's tail pummeling elsewhere, Wolf Boss skidded his corner and rounded his kick. Fanshe pivoted under him, slithering back as he bent and walloped his tail; Zhong combined his elbow parry with his wrist, motioning cobra's tail to head. Maintaining their stances, they rushed.
Kai squinted at the wolf punching and the cobra deflecting his tail at a time. With one speck from one of the students who stood closer to the tiger shouldering his shoulder, Lotus licked Xing's cheek, and the tiger clapped the wolf's paw. Once Kai leveled his eye into determination, Wolf Boss revolved and booted Fanshe in the air.
Landing down on the stone square successfully, the bunny in pink kimono and crimson pants wickedly grinned, her paws drawing twin sai, and the wolf aimed his bamboo pole. "Here I come!" The Nine's Doctor praised.
Sense of blossoms wafted across the short arena; Wolf Boss's sweat fur under his shoulders dribbled his garment after nodding. Zhong heaved his pole at different angles of deflecting twin sai blades Hong parried. The bunny's foot pinned Zhong's weapon, and she sprang in the breeze.
Wolf Boss's limbs countered her agile kicks near his head; each of a diving kick, Hong pummeled his arms. Quintuple times, Hong booted to where she exposed Zhong's guards isolating. Wolf Boss dodged her sixth kick, hammering the square, grasping and revolving his pole. He leveled his legs apart while thrusting his stick against her; the bunny parried her twin sai as she swiveled from rapid swings. While wielding a hardwood bo staff, suitable to use for a long distance from those who can get close, Wolf Boss diverted his body and slid her knees under, tumbling Hong backward.
The crowds beside them cheered. Zhong held his hardwood staff that he practiced with it for a couple of weeks, as his student-mentor Xing Chen educated the alpha wolf well. The Nine's Master Ming gave her a simpering nod to him, and his opponent arose ahead of Zhong. "Great job, mister! You're learning well!" Hong glorified the boss wolf, bowing to him before she dispersed the square.
"Thanks."
The Nine's Leader headed to his partner's father, who was squatting his knee on the floor. "You good, sir?" Xing checked for the wolf's grizzled fur that drizzled with sweat on his face.
"Oh, yeah. I can do this all day," Wolf Boss simpered, panting. "Gods, I've been sweating."
The tiger patted the wolf's back. "I'll give you some time to break, Zhong. Kong, fetch us some water for him and the Nine, including Kai too."
"Right away, Master Xing," the Nine's Messenger nodded, soaring toward his group of geese near the water stream near a thick bamboo boundary.
Not for long, the Nine brought their sips to fulfill their intensities. Along with the group, Bao, Fanshe, and Hong gathered around their wolf companion. Wolf Boss slurped more water under his throat; moreover, a few droplets soaked on his chest. Xing's grandmother, Ming, announced many guests in the blue roof building as she and the Nine's beloved schoolmate Mrs. Chow, a sow farmer, were standing together in front of the public. The Nine's Leader clasped his paws behind him, observing the prosperous view that the sun left its crepuscular trails on the arena. Kai, grasping his large wooden mug of water, sipped.
"Would you like to train with your dad, Lotus?" The mighty heard of his tiger teacher question the Nine's Dancer.
Lotus spread her flattening lips. "I don't think me going against my daddy is a good idea, Xing. He might be my family, but daddy should be focusing on you and ours instead of me."
"I can volunteer. You don't have to engage him in the Trial."
The Nine's Dancer grinned. "Thank you."
For a moment, Kai massaged his beloved's scarlet stone necklace as soon as both teachers of his signaled their master's call, announcing the Nine's final Trial. Next to their wolf companion, the group dispersed the square; Wolf Boss gave a long sigh of relief and waited for the Nine's Leader and Dancer. "Okay. Who's next?" he unmasked his vicious teeth.
Xing was chuffing. "Now you fought against three students, Zhong. Your next opponent -" the Nine's Leader stepped forth, "- is your bestie!"
The audience cheered, seeking the tiger entering the square; the one-eyed wolf began flickering his dark blue ears, his eye training on all the villagers. "Not my daughter's turn?" he asked Xing while the cries sunk.
"Let's just say wolves of the family do not combat against each other."
Kai hummed. Wolves turn against each other, mostly. They're not my problem. He eyed on Lotus tittering and springing one foot and the other endlessly. Wolf Boss bobbed. "You're right about that. So as long as I am breathing, I will not ever hurt Lotus with my eye."
"Neither will I."
Two warriors proceeded their steps near their personal space. Kai watched Xing's grandmother behind her grandson outside of the square; Ming blinked her eyes with a nod to the Mighty once the tiger and wolf met their limbs and bowed.
"Wing Chun, Chen Xing."
"Wing Chun, Lang Zhong."
Their stances spread before their paws met around opposite and the other inner way, forming a circle of balance, the yin-yang, a chi of both master and student disciplining their physical contacts movement. It would be best to flow with your opponent's energy, and your opponent should do the same. Their strengths matched from Wolf Boss's firm forearms as Xing's limbs deflected wooden dummy's arms and every bandit's side punches.
Their paws unleashed their deflections.
Wolf Boss guarded the tiger's straight blow, parrying the other. Xing shifted his counter blocks, combining his paws and deflecting Zhong's circular punches they moved their stances. Advancing the feline's limbs, the one-eyed wolf swiveled Xing's guarding limbs as he elbowed against the forearm, and the other clouting toward Xing's neck; the tiger's whole left arm registered the blow.
Xing's left foot ward off Zhong's front kick, his open paw deflecting a punch, and the other hitting the wolf's chest. He diverged Wolf Boss's limbs as Xing's body bent while swinging his swift guards. Swinging the other, Xing knife-palmed the wolf's throat, and Zhong dodged the encounter. With their paws wildly attacking and blocking with circular motions, the tiger's paws whaled against forearms, guarding against a strike and the other, and unleashed straight blows.
The tiger's open-paw bashed Wolf Boss's chest after his rapid roar.
Zhong grunted while his feet slid on near the edge of the square. Ming gave her an aware glance at both students as if the audience stunned at the scene. Kai dragged his crossed-limbs apart, sauntering closer to his second step.
Is that all you got! Your paw feels like a big, fluffy cloud!
You shall not defy Prince of Gongmen's order.
Find this panda, and bring him to me!
"Escape your history, my student," instructed the Nine's Leader before shifting his guard in front. "No mind."
Got it.
The wolf motioned his fighting stance to his right as Xing followed his eyes on Zhong. Following toward the middle, the tiger readied his fists, preparing other encounters from his student whose paws mimicked his master's as well. As Lotus stood closer to Kai and Hong balancing on she-wolf's left shoulder, Wolf Boss battered his straight kicks toward Xing.
Xing's paws swiftly hammered kicks; around a third kick from Zhong, the tiger parried his heels and a whole foot to the other, slugging on legs from kicking toward his ribcages and upper knees. He caught the wolf's limb, shoving him forward. Wolf Boss rolled backward, gaining his acrobatic position while standing on guard from his teacher. The tiger's horse stance advanced at him.
Wolf Boss deflected Xing's open-paw hits as he encountered his body bending one side and the other, swiveling his bong-sao and tan sao blocks, landing the tiger's fists. Rotating right as Zhong elbowed him, the tiger slithered both bridge limbs of his, separating the wolf's tense limbs apart. He battered with front and side kick the alpha's upper torso. Wolf Boss lurched under to the left and spun his high heel; the tiger swept his foot below as well, missing Zhong's right ankle.
They faced again and made the tiger's opponent went on full force, his paws conflicting against Xing's forearms. Each wolf's straight blow, Xing's paw deflected while the other hit Wolf Boss's ribcages. Zhong sidestepped his foot behind his teacher's main ankle, his locked paw plunging Xing away with his deadly strength.
The Nine's Leader nearly tumbled his weight as he performed his acrobatic flip, wobbling his feet before balancing his fighting stance on the edge of the square. Readying for the aggressive encounter from Wolf Boss, Xing Chen squinted his silver eyes, wagging his striped tail; Zhong leaped for his teacher and unleashed his straight blows. The feline's left wrist was only averted punches while angling his body toward his student. At full advantage, as Wolf Boss threw more rapid paw hits against Xing, his teacher's grin made him gape. The tiger projected his lightning circle punches.
Most of the audience, including the Nine, filled their gasps as they trained on Xing Chen pummeling against Zhong Lang. The one-eyed wolf caught up his palm blocks and retreated; his mentor continued forwarding without stopping his rapid strikes. His arms burned with a hundred bruises, and left defenseless before letting his opponent pummel. Clearing one second not to give surrender, Zhong blocked with his palm and tilted his other on the tiger's ribcage. TAKE THIS!
Wolf Boss's six-inch punch drove Xing's body to bend and throw him at the edge. A crackling bone was heard across the square as many registered. Instead of Xing yelping, after he struggled to arise and glanced at his student, the one-eyed wolf leveled spirits as if considering an ideal for sparring with his teacher. The Nine's Leader chuckled and bowed, concluding the Trial; the audience applauded, and the Nine's new member bowed to his student-master.
"You passed the Nine's Trial, Zhong!" he smirked, coughing and chuckling. "You've earned this round."
Spectators in the blue roof building chanted their spirits. Wolf Boss sauntered to the tired tiger. "That's for my daughter, Master Xing," he held his paw ahead of him, and Xing clasped his, arising with the wolf. They shook paws. "And to me reuniting with my long lost Lotus."
This spar has never happened to Xing's defeat before; even he was always the final opponent, challenging for those who faced the Nine's Trial, anticipating each student's rank from level zero to a master. Well, there's no such thing as level zero, anyway. Could Xing let his soon-to-be father go easy on this final encounter? Or did Wolf Boss search for the good old-fashioned trick that his teacher saught him a lethal blow, which any individual could experience breathing difficulties after defeat?
II. The Gardener's Blessing
Dusk bristled a tame azure with saturated roses beyond the clouds. Lanterns illuminated throughout most of the apartments and every path where villagers sauntered behind the Nine, leading toward the west. Legends during Oogway's tale amidst the war with other rebellion warlords foresaw a gardener master, Wing Chen, whose plants grew on this sacred soil, spread its roots into a divine tree. Her neighbors who occupied with the gardener called her tree Wing Chen's Cherry Blossom of the Blessing.
Like Oogway's Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, Wing Chen's Cherry Blossom of the Blessing had its sacred veins of each soul, vouched to their ancestors to the ghost of Masters Ming and Xing's ancestor of their bloodline. Thank the blessings to the Dragon Warrior and Furious Five shared portions of Oogway's Chi to the Blossom Tree, more likely to have any soul heal from wounds and contemplate lovely warriors.
The tiger stroked green soil roots when a whole group of villagers strolled closer, and the Nine surrounding the Cherry Blossom. Ming and Kai peeped onto this sakura flowers sparkling its rosy lights on its log through outer branches. By the Blessings. . . Kai had remarkably widened his azure eyes at one of the greeny roots. Something that stood in between made the Jade Slayer absorb his cold air under his lungs.
A marble silver stone perched with General Kai's old master's name, written on the tombstone.
Master Wing Chen, The Gardener
620 - 710
"She, who fonds of the courage of the gardener's loving son, seeking the monument of harmony and integrity. Love is where your heart is."
The Mighty's striped feline teacher embarked his open palms meeting ahead of his chest, eying on his lupine student, who knelt on moss soil. "Here, I stand as the Nine's Leader, my Gardener, and ancestors of all mothers and fathers," Xing Chen prayed, "invite new kin for a thousand blessings. Father of the Nine's Dancer, Zhong of Houses Lang and Peafowl Nobles, who kneels before the spirit warriors, wishes to honor the pledge to the Nine's Vow. My Gardener, Wing Chen, my grandmother's ancestor, hear his soul's integrity."
The Nine leveled their main palms (tail from the cobra Fanshe), glittering their specks of dawning chi. Xing's chi only blended soft yellow and milky embers. Sakura flowers filled its mix of pink and amber, branches creaking its limbs, spreading its embrace. The tiger beckoned his nod to the alpha; Wolf Boss shut his eye and uttered his husky voice.
"Bonds of youth and the old embark their wills, and here I kneel to the essential oath and our ancestors: Earth wafts its healing nature and heals the wounds of men, women, and children. Water pours its rain to every warrior sensing loved ones; let the river of memory flow. Fire blends emotions, dims the rage and lights the tranquillity. Wood strengthens into limbs of iron, protects the weak against the strong. Metal seeks righteousness toward persistence, shines against the darkness of loathsomeness. Zhong of Houses Lang and Peafowl Nobles, pledge The Nine's oath."
The blossom tree cast its surrounding hue into Zhong's body. For a moment, cherry and chi wavered their glittering surges on his fur, toning one touch to a calming wave. A soul of Wing Chen in sunset robes pressed her lips on Zhong's forehead, and Xing's paw motioned. "Now rise. You are now Wing Chen's disciple."
A one-eyed lupine followed the Nine's Leader's authority, glancing at the Cherry Blossom Tree of Wing Chen's Will, which a spectacle of leaf fiddled his forehead in between his muzzle. Soft lights from blossoms gleamed its beaming kiss; many lanterns from the Prosper Valley citizens mimicked continuous kindles the Nine shared their respectable pose toward their newest member. General Kai, crossing his arms behind the group beside Master Ming, held his chin upward to a perceivable attitude, distinguishing these oaths which he and for those who had honored the pledge to the Emperor's loyalty from his and their inception.
"Zhong Lang," Xing Chen embarked, deeming the wolf. "The Nine anticipate a warrior from a broad destiny you departed out of the darkness. The Nine anticipate the alpha of the wolves you led and hunted for those who harmed your brothers and sisters. The Nine foresee your eye of mourning, honesty, courageousness, and respect."
The Nine's Leader revolved and beckoned his paw toward his student, eying on every villager and warrior's eyes. "A soldier from the pack steps into the light," he announced. "The Emperor of China pardoned the alpha and his brothers and sisters as he followed legacies, and the alpha has fonds of his family, been enduring and caring them forever during his struggles. Now, the Nine esteem and cherish our new house member of the Nine."
The tiger returned his stone eyes to Wolf Boss. "Zhong has now sworn Wing Chen's oath, which Cherry Blossom's Will endures many of souls of a growing tree: families, friends, and ancestors. He has keen on his survivability and supportive talents toward one another. A unique lupine soldier, thou shalt be. . . The Nine's Commander."
Wolf Boss summoned his half-grin. Xing continued. "A commander who experienced battles in his life. A commander who advises on his kind and other leaders to adapt and use persistencies before achieving goals. You faced many sacrifices from your kind and wished you could offer return: respect. Welcome to the family, pops."
The Nine came forth to their new brother - a father of the family that Zhong could have obtained what was lost. Xing and Lotus folded their arms to him as whistles and applauses were intense. Behind the group, Ming smirked; Kai snouted his muzzle.
The moon arose its glimmering pale of blue streaks as the Nine and villagers sauntered toward their homes, the Mighty knelt near Wing Chen's tombstone, stroking soft tip soils of the grass as the other hoof held his wife's ruby necklace under his neck. I wish I could have been to your house, our temple. Kai kept his lips shut while he quivered his wrinkles; without being aware of someone who eyed on this poor Beast of Vengeance masking his brief grievance, the tiger clasped both paws behind his back.
The yak walked away from revealing one of his hooves sweeping his cheeks as Xing pictured of him, lost someone the tiger might not have imagined or felt what his disciple had.
At the Shui Palace, after the introduction concluded, a few citizens of the Prosper Valley dined with fellow students sitting on chairs, sipping hot tea mugs, devouring rice with pasta dumplings Ming and Xing served. Both masters cooked more than fifty bowls as they received over a hundred bags of rice. Mrs. Yan's sow daughter hoofed Lotus a piglet infant in a cloth-wrapped bundle and bore the child; with a soft smile upon the piglet's eyes from Lotus, the child giggled.
The gorilla and cobra serpent at the third mahogany table down conversed with the Prosper Valley's geese boatmen, mostly interested in voyage paths on those streams. Bao and Fanshe heard rumors saying, "The dead sleeps within the forest." Of course, neither of them could be legitimate to believe these falsehoods to frighten anyone. "The dead might not be real, as any of those bandits try to scare off the people like that. But, I would not fall for that one. Would you agree, Bao?" asked the cobra.
"Bao, agreed."
The gorilla nodded. "Bao, drink." His golden eyes gleamed at the boatmen, and three geese sipped their mug without hesitation to ignore this perplexing rumor.
At the first table sitting where Ming and Xing observed the view while cooking, Kai devoured an enormous, juicy rice dumpling and caught his sight on crowds at their seats, communing and chuckling. Sighting at these villagers were altered than being social to his as he envied, fonded for those who had his back, and he watched their backs within battles. He ate another dumpling, and his chopsticks seized his rice pie, ravenously gulping large portions before grabbing another. Seeming to be comfortable alone instead of chatting to someone else but to his teachers and students (unless necessary) would be better for the former Beast of Vengeance to keep his distance toward villagers. His current state of mind was uncivilized to the weak and kind.
Sensing rice and dumplings wafting over the square outside, Kai glimpsed at a wooden model of three arms and a single leg. The Nine's Doctor Hong, whose limbs meeting at her dummy height to its left, countered one side and the other while pummeling her straight punches at the center. Several of these thick woods pounding from fists and palms blocking its arms chronicled the yak's memory, streaming soft wallops of his cry, female master's silvery voice, arrows screeching among the breeze, fires scorching against woods, and weapons plunging wounds.
The Nine's Commander sat on a bamboo chair ahead of Kai. "Enjoying Xing's food, Kai? Thank the blessings to his talents!"
"Thank you," Xing smiled and offered his plate, sitting next to Wolf Boss.
"You know if my loyal twins would be here now, both Lee and Lin could insanely admire your cooking gift. Eating spicy rice while their tongues are on fire can let them speak more, bursting their cries."
"At least they have dragon's fire in their mouths, but not under their trousers."
Both warriors but Kai snickered. What a delightful joke. Not even closely worse than the water deer's jester. Drinking the wooden mug, Kai relieved his savor appetite and stroked his belly, which neither growls may tap to his head for more sustenance. Good for him instead of inspecting three or more empty bags to feed the giant! He rarely read both of their determination expressions before both Xing and Wolf Boss nearly widened at his clear large bowl. "By the turtle's-" Zhong stunned, but Xing elbowed him to the mind of safety concerns, which he cannot mention the Magnificent ahead of the yak. "I mean... By the Gods, you're one hungry warlord!"
"You should be grateful to your master who made this unique ingredient, General. Most of the villagers never stop talking about the rice," simpered Xing.
"I do not see either oxen, yaks, or yaks eat more than three bags of rice like my lifetime," said Zhong.
"I've seen both: Master Storming Ox's son and the Nine's Pirate ate around two and devoured over eighty dumplings," Xing blended the rice and soy sauce with his chopsticks. "Niu and Shou swore not to do a dumpling challenge. Pandas will win against them either way."
"By the blessings! You're not wrong about that," Zhong accepted, as they recalled the Dragon Warrior's party at Mr. Ping's, witnessed Po and Big Fun's dumpling challenge.
Kai darkly chuckled. "Puny giants may not face against the Mighty who ate the food of ninety dumplings, per se. This bear, a commander, who I used to follow, regarded his challenging opponent to accept. Bets were not so simple to the fact that the bear commander or I shall make soldiers' beds every morning and night without leading into battles until a month."
"So, what was the winning bet?" Wolf Boss asked as the tiger gorged a handful of rice pie.
"Be the Emperor's Commander," Kai answered. "So as our challenge proceeded as my group within the war barrack being supportive toward me, the bear commander and I were amidst seventy dumplings, thus two bags of rice supper you needed to eat. You see," he straightened his back, clasping his wooden mug, "not every giant has this unique capability to gorge twenty dumplings each and hammer your empty stomach endlessly. Curse that chubby bear who even dared to fill more than twenty dumplings in his mouth. He spat five dumplings toward my muzzle. I would not have excused him during my low rank that the bear commander was amongst near Ooohuugway, thee Magnificent's middle rank."
Kai drank a hot stream of tea, streaming in his fruity throat. "You have a penalty from your bet you lose, so you would have to live with it for a while," he closed his fist from being soft to stiff. "With ten battles I fought, contemplated the buffoon commander who cared not one, but to lead, the Mighty determined one way, the extremely reckless way to get rid of the fool."
"Then what happened?" The tiger queried.
"The bear's stomach unleashed his vomit to one of Emperor's Generals and lost his rank!" Kai vigorously laughed, slapping the table. Boisterous chuckles chronicling across the Shui Palace turned many faces over their shoulders. Ming, at three chairs down, cleaning her kitchen equipment, signaled her head to Xing.
"Ha! That seems ridiculously marvelous to hear that commander, whoever you mentioned him, was an imbecile," Wolf Boss agreed as if Kai glazed his ocean eyes to the alpha.
"The fool was a stubborn soldier. Neither of his group or I envied his blatant character to admire him."
"So it seemed that way," Xing lastly commented.
For a moment, as the dine deafened the people's gorges and public speakings, Kai piled the rest of his food in his mouth and gorged, wasting no other time to contemplate some souls ponder. He stroked a ruby necklace that glinted with tiny sparkles under his throat. "While if you excuse me, lovebirds, my bedtime is a little late, and I am tired."
Kai drank his half cup of tea and left.
The moon settled its peaceful night among the glimmers of the constellations, letting lanterns throughout the paths and windows dim. Admitting to one of the students this night which was late to stay up more during Zhong's anticipation, the Nine agreed their Leader and Master seek their bedtime.
In the Nine's corridor, most of the chambers blew their night candles at each section. Only one farther down to four doors away left its light; grasshoppers within the forest and close by their dormitory outside chirped their soft buzzes. The tiger's room was the last to leave the candle shine furthermore. Lotus and Xing lay in a bed, cuddling their rests they glanced. "Has our student been alright, my cookie?" Lotus murmured, stretching her eyebrows upward.
"Sort of," Xing hardly answered. His stone eyes were swarming down into determination that he could easily sense any individual's inner feeling, and not only his gifted mind of sensing how this tiger felt anyone's urge. He looked to the she-wolf's golden ring eyes. "Since after your dad's vow, our student bent his knee on a soil ahead of Wing Chen's stone. And later, he genuinely shared his tale of beating his former commander during his war times, so achievable the other being dramatic."
He shook his head slightly. "But there's this hidden sense in him that the one I could not stop reflecting on, and Nana knows as well. Have you remembered during Po's rescue in the mountain that Kai mistakenly called me before?" The she-wolf heard him well and nodded before Xing continued as Lotus grasped the edge of their cover. "I used to think of my ancestor how she looked after Kai. We were in Shifu's library where most of Masters read a scroll of The Mightiest Warriors and saw a young yak, trained with my own kin."
"So have I heard," she said, looking ahead of her partner after lifting a cover near their necks. "Was our student, you know, in grief?"
Her question was into the discovery that if you begin to see the stone of your family or friend's name, a sense of shredded inner feeling is impossible to escape the sorrow. "I could only know he was in fond of someone who watched over him, including a word which if you had stood with me near Kai, you might have unleashed your tears first."
"You mean-?" Lotus widened, and suddenly she let her partner speak plain and soft once more.
"A word I caught his voice while he was stroking the soil ahead of Wing Chen's stone," he rotated his body and stared at the ceiling. "I still see my parents in my head once a while, but something that they will never return with my eyes, and call me a son over many times."
Xing turned his head to her. "Thank the blessings for our brother's mother. We all three have our fonds for Lady Xia. She raised us, bathed us, fed us, cared to us, ventured with us three, and we cried to her while we had terrible dreams."
"Mommy?"
"Mom."
Lotus nudged her head under the tiger's jaw. "I miss her."
Xing chuffed. "I miss her too. Time to sleep."
Xing blew his candle once the sleeping snores across these chambers recorded peaceful melodies. At two doors farther from Xing's room, shoji papers shimmered its dawn pink and cherry of heavenly chimes. The Nine cherished this new theme as if you begin to sleep while a harmony thrives within your trance.
The pink light on Kai's face stroked his throat, wanting Kai to bless his necklace once more than streaming one tear and the other. Blessing his wife's necklace, Kai wrapped his warm sheet, lying his belly in his bed forward where his pillow braced his whole head, despite his horns were too enormous to sense his surroundings on his shoji chambers, which four walls including a ceiling might tear off.
Kai's necklace continued flashing. During a subconscious of his sleep, his silky lips stretched; his wife's singing voice drawing a sword from the sheath bestowed him a dream of his beloved's amber eyes, a she-ox in the midnight silk kimono, blessing her husband's name.
Author's Note:
- The Nine's Vow, I wrote, is similar to GoT's the Nights Watch oath. I've wanted to write one script that means for my OCs defending not just their villagers, but to each soul (family and friends, and the people). They are always guardians of the Prosper Valley. Dammit, Destiny. Why me, Bungie? Come on now!
-I think the quote "No mind" has something to remind you of a movie mostly everyone cherishes. Jolly good, anyone?
-Not much to clarify here once more, as the Maker's long-lost wife sings in his amber-rose stone necklace, putting him and the gang to sleep. Next month, we'll move on to the next!